


Obligations

by toujours_nigel



Category: The Charioteer - Mary Renault
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-11
Updated: 2013-11-11
Packaged: 2018-01-01 04:59:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1040626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toujours_nigel/pseuds/toujours_nigel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I'd had rather a sickener of the other side. Once people know about you at sea, you never get away from it."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Obligations

Laurie doesn’t notice him. No earthly reason he should. Wilson’s just one of the crowd at the pub, a gruff sailor in his forties with the hard labour of sea and sun graven into his skin, looking like the rest of them and talking about as much or as little. All entirely normal.  
  
What he notices is Ralph, the sudden alertness in a body that had been lounging easily half a minute before. Old Hall, sat across them, interrupts his own story and looks around.  
  
Laurie, taking advantage of his momentary distraction, mutters, “What is it?”  
  
“Nothing,” Ralph returns, keeping his voice even. “Just a man I used to know once.”  
  
Hall finishes his survey and returns to his story. Wilson hadn’t been part of the crew when they’d sailed together, and Ralph takes this to signify that the story hasn’t been spread around. Of course, it might just have been forgotten. Seven years is a long enough time, as he’s had to learn.  
  
  
Later, Laurie says, “Were you in a firefight with him?”  
  
A firefight. _Lord._ “I had to oblige him for a time. It stays with one, I suppose. Never mind if you don’t know what I mean.”


End file.
